End door for automobile cars



may 21, E929.

END

(5. s. GILPIN DOOR FOR AUTOMOBILE CARS Filed Nov. 9, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 21, 1929,

G. G. GILPIN END DOOR FOR AUTOMOBILE CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov; 9, 1925 Fig.5

Zzvenior rib 6 6930110 axio May 23, 1929.. G. e. GILPIN END DOOR FOR AUTOMOBILE CARS Filed Nov. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet oooooo o l i l Patented May 21,1929

' PATENT-OFF 1 xi nn mrmrmrm omnmasmmmors, ASSIGNOR r UNION. mn'ranrnonuors COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLIN0Is, A oonronnmon oraeaawann ZEN-D nooa'ron'au'roaios'rm cans.

'A'iiplicatiiin filed November 9, 1925.

This invention relates to large railway box car's known-as '-automobil e cars having-one of their end walls composed of doors to facilitate the, loading or unloading of automotive cars and trucks or the like. Such an arrangementmaterially weakensth'e car framing to resist'the serv1cestresses. -T'It is difficult to design the 'endframe ofsuch a car,

the attachments of the doors and thedoors themselves so, as to resist the weaving stresses of the car in' service and the shifting cargo .-'and at the same time obtain a door which is easy to operate, weather-proof and burglarproof and which, when 'open, will give an opening as w de as'the 1ns1de ofthe car. An tomobile cars are used in general service so ."must be capable of carrying various types of lading aswell as those mentioned'above.

'In thedrawings:

Fig. 1 shows theend of a railway car with my device applied thereon. f-

. Fig. 2.is 'a' section on line 2-2 of Fig." 1.

Figs. 3 and tshow the eccentric rod ar-' rangementdrawn on lnes and respectively, of'Fig. 1. Fig. 5 -'s a section on line 55 of Fig. 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged side elevations of Fig.1.

' of Fig.1.

Fig. 8 is a frontlelevation at Fig. 6.

ofFigL1.-.

Fig. 10 is an" nlarged section on line 1010 In my-constructioxi the corner posts, end plate and end sill are securely fastened to- .gether to form a rigid frame'to resist the service weaving stresses of the car in motion frame. The doors are-independently hinged.

and swinging'd'oors' are provided to retain the cargo, which doors must transmit the static as well as the quiescent loads imposed by the cargo against the end wall to the rigid to the o posite corner posts (or frame mem- 'bers) o the'car and when closed meet adja- .Figl 9 is an'lenlatrged section-on line 99:

" underside 7 of thestriking casting 5 to the rail is-the American Railroad Association standard andasa lo w floor is'desirable in such cars, the distance between the underside 7 of the striking castingand the upper I surface ofthe floor 8 is necessarily very small sothat it is advisable to reinforce this portion of the end'sill by a striking castingwhich preferably has an integral. lowernnember 9.

mobile trucks a veryshallow end/plate 2 is in a horizontal direction. The composite used but at the same time it has great strength .To facilitate the loading of nigh automember shown isrnade up of angle 10 secured to the metallic plate 11, which plate has an upturned rear flange 12 to prevent buckling. This flat plate extends from side plate to side plate (13) and is rigidly secured thereto and is bent to parallel the slopes of the roof. The

connection of the endplate to the corner postisreinforcedbyigussets 14. The corner post of a railway boxcar. is a part of the retaining side wall of the car, and

as such, must resist horizontal stresses; furth'ermore, it-is the end strut of theside truss of thecar, and as such, must act as'a column.

I The ordinary rigid end wall of a box car rcinforces the corner post to perform both of these functions, butas thereis no rigidend wall in an automobile car, the corner poetifj must be desi ed to resist these stresses, i. e., as a vertical eamand as a column. My preferred form of corner post 1 comprises a main portion 20, a rearwardly extending flange 21, a forwardlV extending web-22 and an inwardly extending flange 23, whereby. the

members 20, 22 and'23' form a recess. The

main portion 20 is a beamof considerable strength. to resist the lateral stresses and is 1 reinforced to resist such s esses by' the rearwardlylextendingflange 2 and the forward- 1y extending web'22, which members form a 45 cent the medial-line of the carand have an overlapped relation, that is, the outside door considerable strength enabling the post to act is providedwith a-part'which overlaps the inas .a column. The web 22, withtheportion side door. The object of this overlapped re- 20 and the. flange 23,,may-be described as a U-shapedv member with a long'and a short arm. The side wall 24' is attached to 'the 1'05 lationfis for weather-proofing andto retain thedoors inaclosed osition.' *Means are'jprovided to force the cibor closed which means, main portion ofthe corner-post. together with separatelocking means, resist j The door (29 or 30) 1s h ngedto the're the thrust of the cargo. I cessed'corner 0st 1 (or sidewall of the car) The center sills. 4 project beyond the'end so that a p01t1on of it will swing behind the 55 sill 3 and are tied together and to the end sill .flange 23-. and preferably engage or contact no Z-section. This Z-section is also a strut of I a single pivot so as to permit horizontal'niove-a ment between these component parts (socai'led a loose hinge) so that any substantially horizontal'load imposed'up'on' the inner part of the door is resisted by the'corncr post independently of the hinges. The hinge point ening members The opposite ends of the corrugations extend=in close proximity to the vertical stifieners 7 -7 1. Q The stifieners pro-f vide an overlappin'g'feature, tha'ti's, the stiffener on the outside-{door 29 overlaps the 'stifi- 70 ener. on the inside door 30. 'In'the constru'ction-illustrated-'thei channel section stifienr' j.

71 'on-the inside door is overlapped by theZ-ff section stiffener 70 on the outside/door? Thek 1 late 7 7 prevents the leakagfif grain orsix'nia .GQ'mmodities and weather-proofs the joint between the doors.

32 of the .door is positioned outside the 'in- Thev veaving of the car in'motion tends to side plane 33 of the car wall a distancegreater d'istort the, rectangularity of the end frame than that between the bounding planes 3"'.i35

of the door so that when the doorsar'e openedv the distance between the opposite doors W111. be-the same as, or greater than, the inside ,An eccentric rod 40 is mounted upon each door operably engageable with devices 41-42- upon the car body to swing the top and bot- .tom of the door simultaneously --.toward' or away from the car. The eccentricme'chanism comprises the rod 40 which is-rotatably' mounted upon the door by brackets 43 and.

4.4. This rod has eccentric'portions 45-46 which upon rotation of the rod engagethe inclined surfaces 'of members 47.48 and force the door outwardly or inwardly. as de- .sired. The operating handle 49 is provided withmeansfiO to lock it in a predetermined position when the door is closed. This is not only to preventpilfering but also to prevent theecentric rod from revolving-whena shift;

cured to the car body. These bolts-are 7 in forcing the door closed.

ing load imposes a horizontal force upo the insideofthe door. I The bolts and-61* are mounted:

outside door 29 adjacentthe v nap nr ;pri j tion of the door and are connected by the. arm

62 which is provided with a handle 63. Movement of the arm simultaneously engages r disengages) bolts 6.0 and .61 with mber 64-65 positioned adjacent the toplandbottom, respectively, of the doors so as to retain the doors in aclosed position. The -lowe r ofjj these members may be made integral with he striking casting oris otherwise rigid P vided with inclined surfaces 66- 67'to'ass1sfi':

; The end door comprises a; metallic plate reinforced on'its edges} by'rflanges' 78 and stiffeners 70-71 and on its outside edge-by the integral flange and .stiflener'72. The i115.

1 side lining 73 is nailed towoo'den strips 71 1;

positioned within the corrugations and oth'e'r' nailing strips 75 positioned near the stiffen .ing members. The metallic plate isreinforced andstifiened with integral corrugations 76 extend behind the inwardly 'extending flgnge 23 of the corner post'l so that-a portion: 0 t

inclined thwiold so that its verticarweiglTilt e load is transmitted from the corrugae tions to the flange 23 independent of the stififl of the car and if the door is hinged to this -frame in the usual manner, the weaving motion also has a tendency to'distort the doors themselves, to break or bend the hinges and .to open up the joints between the door and breakior distort them.

lThethreshold 80 of this? door 'opening' isinclined inwardly and'npwardly and means are prov id hedoormn and upt-his .1

istrans'fer red from the hinges to' the th o'ldplate." Thebottom, edge of the door may be correspondingly inclined. (81): iClearance is providedhetmeei tlmntside vgtical edgeefihe tfoofandfthe adjacentfraine bers and also between the top edge of thedoo'rand the end platefso that'- when the door closed'and the car weaves the weaving stresses are not transmitted to the door proper. a In the conSt-ri1cti o,n'-illustrated the means -.to'

'force the-do'or'up-and on the-threshold com prisesthe eccentric rod'40 and its associated parts, heretofore described;

" Each hinge comprises a. single butt mem' ber secured {to the car body and a single strap .memben secured to the door,-said members. 1 bemg pivotally: secured 'to; each other by .a :single': vertically-positioned: pin 83; The.

component: parts: are arranged .to providevertical; clearance- 82 ';and ho'rizontal clear.- ance-is obtalned bymaking the pinholes in the strap and; buttsuiiiciently:

arger' than the pin'83.

. r The operation of thejdoor i'sas follows: 1 The inside door is moved to substantially closed-position and its? eccentric- "rod. is; rotated; thus forcingthis-.idoor into a com-' pletely closed-position, .The outside door is then swung tqSl'ibStantiaIly-blosed position 1 and its eccentric rod is-operated tQfOICB this dQorfintoa-completely closed position. The arm63is then operated1to force thebolt'si into theirsockets on the car body which holdsboth doorsiing-closed position; Thef= I preferred form of the invention,

- rasse eccentric rod and bolts are then locked in these positions. The 'car isthus doubly the door the operation is reversed. The. ec-

centriorods give the door its initial open movement, thus assisting in overcoming any sticking orwedging of the door. These eccentric rods also give the door its final closing movement, thus wedging the door tightly in place and overcoming any friction of the parts. V

The accompanying drawings illustrate the though it is limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons. skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a railway car, the combination of a frame member, and single pivot hinges pivotally supporting a door upon said frame member so that the door will swing behind an inner part of said frame member when in closed position, each of said hinges arranged to provide horizontal movement between its hinge and strap parts so that said door may engage said inner part whereby any substantially horizontal load imposed upon the inside of the door is resisted by the frame member independently of the hinges.

2. In a railway car, the combination of a frame member, and 7 single pivot hinges pivotally supporting a door upon said frame member, said door provided with corrugations extending normal to said frame'memher so that the door and a portion of the corrugations will swing behind an inner part of said frame member when in a closed position, each of said hinges arranged to provide horizontal movement between its hinge and strap parts so'that said door may engage said inner part whereby any substantially'horizo'ntalload imposed upon the corrugations is resisted by the frame member independently of the hinges.

In a railway car having a door opening,

, the combination of a frame member adjacent swings within said said opening, and single pivot hinges pivotally supporting a door upon said frame member sothat the door will swing behind an inner part of said frame member when in a closed position, each of said hinges arranged to provide horizontal movement between its hinge and strap parts so that said door may engage said inner part whereby any substantially horizontal load imposed upon the inside of the door is resisted by the frame member independently of the hinges, the hinge point of the door being so located that the door, when in open position, does not restrict said door opening.

4. In a railway car, the combination of a corner post for a-railway car of channel section with a short arm and a long arm flanged at its outer edge, and a hinge mounted upon said shortarm supporting a door so that it channel section.

5. In a railway car, the combination 'o'f a door opening with an inclined threshold, a

- vertical frame member adjacent one side of said opening, hinges pivotally supporting a door upon said frame member so that the door will swing behind an inner part of said frame member when in closed position, and means to draw said doorup and on said inclined threshold, each of said hinges arranged to provide vertical movement betweenits component parts so that the weight of the door is transferred from the hinges to the threshold as the door is closed.

6. In a railway car, the combination of a door opening with an inclined threshold,

a vertical frame member adjacentone side of said opening, hinges pivotally supporting a door upon said frame member so that the door will swing-behind an inner part of said frame member when in closed position, and means to draw said door up and on said inclined threshold, each of said hinges arrangedto provide vertical and horizontal movement between its component parts so that the weight of the door is transferred from the hinges to the threshold as the door is closed and so that said door may engage said inner part whereby any substantially horizontal load imposed upon the inside of the door is resisted by the frame member independently of the hinges.

. GARTH e. GILPII-N. 

